Shabe Barat – Prayers, fasting for Blessed Night of Mid-Shaban
Allah’s Name (we) begin with, The Compassionate Most Merciful
As Salaatu Was Salaamu Alaika Ya Rasool’Allah
Shab e Bara-at, in other words, the eve of the 15th of Sha’baan is a very blessed night. There are many Ahadith which have been mentioned about its virtue.
Almighty Allah assigns to the Angels, the administration of all which is to happen in that year.
Information about the amount of sustenance that the servants will receive, and all the good and bad which the servants will do, and all the incidents and matters which will take place in that year, such as illness, good health, comforts and hardships, death, wars, and battles, are all given to the Angels.
Almighty Allah says in the Holy Qur’an
In it is allocated all the matters of wisdom
[Surah Ad-Dukhan (44), Part 25, Verse 4]
In the explanation of this blessed verse, the author of Tafseer Roohul Bayaan says,
On this night Almighty Allah gives Hazrat Mika’eel Alaihis Salaam the entire information (i.e. commands) concerning sustenance.
The information (commands) concerning deeds and actions, Almighty Allah gives to the Angel of the first sky, (whose name is) Hazrat Isma’eel (Alaihis Salaam).
Similarly, the information (i.e. commands) concerning difficulties and calamities are given to Hazrat ‘Izra’eel Alaihis Salaam. [Tafseer Roohul Bayaan Vol.3 Page 598]
Shab e Barat in Ahadith e Mubaraka
The First Hadith
It is reported from Hazrat Ma’az ibn Jabl ؓ that Rasoolullah said, On the eve (night) of the 15th of Sha’baan, Almighty Allah Manifests (i.e. manifests His Special Attention) towards the entire creation, so with the exception of the unbelievers and those who harbor enmity, He forgives all others.
[Tabrani, Ibn Hib’baan]
The Second Hadith
Baihaqi reports from Ummul Momineen Hazrat A’isha that Rasoolullah said, Jibra’eel Alaihis Salaam visited me, and said that this is the eve of the 15th of Sha’baan. In it, Almighty Allah frees people from
hell, more than the hair on the backs of the goats of Bani Kalb, but He does not place His Special Attention of Mercy upon the unbelievers, and upon
those who harbor enmity,
those who break family ties,
those who allow their clothing to trail (out of pride),
those who disobey their parents,
and the alcoholics.
The Third Hadith
In the narration reported by Imam Ahmed in his Musnad from Hazrat Ibn Umar ؓ, a murderer is also mentioned (amongst those upon whom Allah does not place His Special Attention of Mercy).
[Musnad Imam Ahmed Vol.2, Page 176]
The Fourth Hadith
It is reported on the authority of Hazrat Ali ؓ◌ that Rasoolullah said, When the eve (night) of the 15th of Sha’baan arrives, then remain standing init (i.e. in Ibaadat), and fast in the day, for at the time of Sunset (on the eve of the 15th) Almighty Allah manifests His Special Blessings onto the sky of the earth, and announces, Is there anyone who wishes to be forgiven, so that I may forgive him? Is there anyone who wishes for sustenance, so that I may bless him with sustenance? Is there someone who is gripped (by some calamity), that I may grant him peace? Is there anyone? Is there anyone? He announces this until the break of dawn. [Ibn Majah Page 100]
Ziyaret e Quboor
Visiting The Graves
It is reported on the authority of Sayyidatuna A’isha Siddiqa that one night Rasoolullah came to my home, but then He woke early (i.e. left early), whereas this was my allocated night, so I also (discreetly)
walked behind Him. I saw that He went into Baqi Shareef (The Blessed Cemetery of Madina Shareef), and He raised his head towards the sky and was engrossed in Dua. When He saw me, He said, O A’isha! Did you think that I was being unjust towards you?
Hazrat A’isha says, I said, Ya Rasool’Allah, I assumed that you had gone to visit another one of your blessed wives. The Beloved Rasool said, O A’isha! This is the even (night) of the 15th of Sha’baan. In this
(night) Almighty Allah manifests His Special Blessings on the sky above the earth and He forgives more people than the amount of hair on the backs of the goats of Bani Kalb.
[Tirmizi Shareef Vol.1, Page 92; Madarijun Nubuw’wah Vol.1, Page 399]
Important Note: This Hadith Shareef proves that to visit the cemetery is the Sunnah of Nabi Kareem.
Ghauth e Samdaani, Qutb e Rabbani, Shahanshah e Baghdad Abu Muhammad Hazrat Shaykh Abdul Qaadir Jilani ؓ◌ quotes a Hadith Shareef in his book, Ghuniyatut Taalibeen that, The Beloved Rasool says, On the eve of the 15th of Sha’baan, Jibra’eel Alaihis Salaam visited me, and said to me that, Ya Rasool’Allah! Raise your blessed head towards the sky (i.e. look towards the sky). I asked; which night is it? This is that night in which Almighty Allah opens three hundred doors of Mercy, and on this
night Allah forgives every such person who is not a Mushrik (polytheist), except for those who do jadu (sorcery/black magic), alcoholics, and those who take interest (Riba). He does not forgive them on this night until such time that they repent sincerely.
[Ghuniyatut Taalibeen Page 567]
Virtuous Deeds on This Night
If one recites forty (40) times before sunset (of the 15th Sha’baan),
La Hawla Wa Laa Quw-wata il-la Bil-Laahil Aliy-yil Azeem
And then recites one hundred (100) Durood Shareef, Almighty Allah will forgive forty years of his sins, and forty (40) Hoors (Maidens of Paradise) will be awarded to him.
[Miftahul Jinaan]
After Maghrib Salaah, perform six (6) Raka’ats of Nafil Salaah in cycles of
two.
• The first two Raka’ats should be performed with the Niyyah
(intention) of a long life with goodness (i.e. with Imaan and virtue).
• The second two Raka’ats should be performed with the Niyyah
(intention) of having all evils eradicated.
• The third two Raka’ats should be performed with the Niyyah of
not being dependant on the creation.
After every two Raka’ats recite Surah Yaseen Shareef once, then the Dua e Nisf Sha’baan.
On this night we should visit the Muslim Cemeteries to recite Fatiha. Whatever we recited should be afforded as Esaal e Thawaab to the souls of the believing men and believing women.
The one who sends this reward will receive a reward equivalent to all those deceased who receive its
reward.
Asbahani reports on the authority of Hazrat Anas ؓ◌ that Rasoolullah said to Maula Ali ؓ◌, O Ali! Should I not teach you that Dua, that when you are faced with any anguish of distress, if you recite this Dua then
Almighty Allah will accept your Dua and remove your anguish? After Wudu, perform two Raka’ats of Namaaz (Salaah), and thereafter praise and glorify Allah, and send Durood upon your Beloved Nabi, and seek forgiveness for all the Muslim men and Muslim women and then say,
Allahum-ma Anta Tahkumu Bayna ‘Ibaadika Feema Kaanu Feehi
Yakhtalifoon. Laa Ilaaha il-Allahu-l Aliy-yul ‘Azeem. Laa Ilaaha il-Allahul
Haleem-ul Kareem. Subhaan’Allahi Rab-bis Samawaatis Sab’ee Wa Rabbil ‘Arshil Azeem. Alhamdu Lil-Allahi Rab-bil Aalameen; Allahum-ma
Kaashifal Gham-mi Mufar-rijal Ham-mi, Mujeeba Da’watil Mud-tar-reena
Idha Da-awka, Rahmaanad-Dunya Wal Aakhirati Wa Rahima-huma,
Farhamni Fee Haajati Haadhi-hi Bi Qadaa-iha Wa Najaahiha Rahmatan
Tughneeni Biha ‘An Rahmati Man Siwaak.
Thereafter make Dua for your need. (This Dua can be read when facing any difficulty).
[At Targheeb Wat Tarheeb Lil Mundhiri Vol.1 Page 274, Hadith Number 1020, Published by Darul Kutub Al Ilmiyah]
Perform one hundred (100) Raka’ats with ten (10) times Surah Ikhlaas (Qul Huw’Allah) in every Raka’at.
There are many blessings in this. Hazrat Hasan Basri ؓ◌ states that, thirty (30) Sahaba e Kiraam of the Beloved Rasool has mentioned that one who performs this Salaah on this night (of Bara-at), Almighty Allah places His Special Merciful Attention upon him seventy (70) times, and for every time, He fulfills seventy (70) of his needs, of which the minimum need, is that He forgives his sins.
Note of Caution
Those who perform Ishraaq, Tahaj-jud, Aw-wabeen, Salaatut Tasbeeh and other Nawafil on Big days and Big nights, must take note that if they are responsible for any Qaza Salaah, then performing these Nafils, etc will not afford them any real benefit.
They should perform the intended Raka’ats as Qaza Salaah (and In’sha Allah they will receive the rewards of those blessings as well). It is mentioned in Fatawa Alamgiri etc that, ‘To perform ones Qaza Salaah is
more important than performing Nafils etc.’ [Alamgiri Vol.1 Pg.125]
Fireworks
On this night, Muslims should spend most of their time in Ibaadat (worship), and they should abstain from using fireworks. With the exception of earning the displeasure of Allah, the harmful effects of
fireworks are well-known. The harmful effects can be observed by reading through the newspapers and by those who witness this.
All Muslims should jointly make efforts to end this incorrect, destructive, and non-Shariah compliant activity. Every wrongdoing can be stopped by making an effort to eradicate it. A true believer is one who is always engrossed in spreading the Deen.
To spend this night in sinful acts is a sign of immense deprivation. It is known about fireworks that this was started by king Namrud (Nimrod), when he catapulted Hazrat Ibraheem Alaihi Salaam into the raging inferno and it turned into a garden for him (by Allah’s command), his people filled pomegranates
with a combusting agent, and then lit them and threw them towards Hazrat Ibraheem Alaihis Salaam. This (fireworks) is actually the custom of the who do this.
Muslims should also realize that hundreds of thousands of rupees are wasted in this (un-Islamic) practice, and every year we hear that due to fireworks so many houses have burnt down in such and such place, and such and such amount of people have been burnt to death. There is a danger to one’s life and also the destruction of one’s wealth, and the risk of houses catching alight, due to
this practice.
To burn your wealth with your own hands and to earn the wrath and displeasure of Allah are all impermissible and forbidden in the Shariah.
It is necessary for all Muslims to abstain from this vile practice.
The Dua Nisf Sha’baan
The Dua Nisf Sha’baan
(Transliteration)
Allahum-ma Yaa Dhal Man-ni Wa laa Yuman-nu ‘Alayh
Yaa Dhal Jalaali wa’l Ikraam
Yaa Dhat-Tawli wa’l In’aam
Laa Ilaaha il-la anta
Zahru’l-laajeen wa Jaaru’l Mustajeereen wa Amaanu’l khaa-ifeen
Allahum-ma in Kunta Katabtanee ‘Indaka Fee Um-mil Kitaabi
Shaqiy-yan aw Mahruman aw Matrudan aw Muqat-taran ‘Alay-ya Fi’rRizqi – Fa’mhu Allahum-ma Bi Fadlika
Shaqaawatee wa Hirmaanee wa Tardee Wa’qtitaara Rizqee
Wa-athbitnee ‘Indaka Fee Um-mil Kitaabi
Sa’eedan Marzuqam Muwaf-faqan li’lkhayraati Fa Innaka Qulta wa
Qawluka’l Haqqu
Fee Kitaabika’l Munaz-zali ‘Alaa lisaani Nabiy-yika’l Mursal
Yam-hullahu Maa Yashaa’u wa Yuthbit
Wa ‘Indahu Um-mul Kitaab
Ilaahi Bit-tajalli’l A’zam
Fee laylatin-Nisfi min Shahri Sha’ban Al-Mukar-ram
Al-latee Yufraqu Feehaa Kul-lu Amrin hakeemin wa Yubram
An Takshifa ‘An-naa Mina’l Balaa-i wa’l Balwaa-i
Maa Na’lamu wa Maa laa Na’lam
Wa Anta Bihi A’lam
In-naka Anta’l A’azzu’l Akram
Wa Sall Allahu Ta’ala ‘Alaa Say-yidina Muhammad-in
Wa ‘Alaa Aalihi wa As’haabihi wa Sallam
Wa’l Hamdu Lil-laahi Rab-bi’l ‘Aalameen